Subjects to Fusion
by Bitway
Summary: Academia. A facility where abnormal and inhumane experiments are done upon humans. Here they lose their humanity, becoming nothing more than numbers on paper and monsters to the world. {A oneshot/drabble collection that revolves around those involved with Academia. Test subject AU, probably various pairings later}
1. Unlucky Mechanic Meets a Dangerous Plant

_"Wait, what do you mean the cell is empty?!"_

 _"Did it j-just leave? No...! No- If it escapes-"_

 _"Don't. Panic. Signal everyone here, we need to establish level four security. If that...monstrosity escapes...it'll be worse than the last. We can't let it out of this facility."_

 _"W-Worse...? Oh god- we just have to, to-"_

 _Hearing a dark giggle from behind causes both guards to freeze. A cold shiver runs down their spines, fear paralyzing them. They couldn't move (whether out of fear or denial, not wanting to confirm their situation) and barely had the muscle to turn their heads towards each other. Both gulping almost simultaneously._

 _"You weren't talking about me just now, were you?" It asks with a grin on it's face. A smirk forms as it's gaze rests upon their trembling figures. They had always been afraid of it, it had known for a long time. (It was feared by many here and it took great advantage of that fact.) Yet, there was always something in between them, a glass, a cage, a barrier to protect their delicate human lives. Now, there was nothing._

 _"P-Please..." One guard begs, breathing quickening as he turns to face this monster. It was a mistake to look at the thing and he wishes he never had. (The monster may have a human appearance, but it was from one.) The other was trying to keep his cool, somehow managing to find his hand to his hips, right where that specialized taser was._

 _"Don't bother begging or trying to fight. I don't plan to spare either one of you," the monster hisses, tone turning dark. It notices the more...confident one already beginning to pull out his gun. It flashes it's teeth, smiling and raises a hand, pointing towards him._ _Before the human can react, the monster's flesh from it's arm begins to bubble, something underneath pushing at it's skin- vines sprout forth, tearing the skin. The monster winces, it hurts, stings; it can handle this pain._

 _The vines from it's arm grow at an alarming rate, even branching off from the main root, rushing towards the (currently deemed) dangerous human. Just as he manages to aim the gun at it, one vine is wrapping around his arm, playfully teasing to simply pull back his arm and break it. The other vine was already slithering around his waist, now beginning to poke at the human's back._

 _"Did you seriously think you could stop me?" The creature asks with a joyous tone, enjoying the look of terror upon his face. He finally must have realized his time was up. As for the other human...he was still cowering in fear, though now backing up to the nearest wall with wide eyes as he watched the scene before him. Perhaps the monster should kill this one, it would be a better show for the other._

 _"I've already alerted security! You won't-"_

 _The human doesn't get to finish his final words, the vine from behind penetrating right through his back and extending out of his abdomen, red painting the vines that have come forth. He chokes, trying to speak but only coughs up more blood. The life in the human's eyes is a faint light- it has to wonder how long will it last? An unsettling grin, a look of interest and curiosity displays on the monster's face._

 _It would have enjoyed this moment longer if the living human hadn't let out a high pitched screech. A sigh escapes from it's lips, raising his other arm. Again, there's a slight pain that strikes him as more vines wiggle free from underneath his skin, growing and extending to reach for it's second victim for the night. It decides the best thing to do would be to silence this one. Choke him to death to stop his screaming. It never saw a death like that before._

 _Although it's already imagining the (second) wondrous look of fleeting life before it's very eyes, opening doors from behind bring this kill to a sudden halt. Turning it's head, there's more guards at the door, all with weapons (mainly flamethrowers) and shields, ready to stop it from killing, from doing exactly what it was created for._

 _It pulls it's vines off the corpse and other survivor (it leaves this one free, intending to return for the kill once it disposes of the higher threats), before facing them completely. So many humans in it's path, they wouldn't be alive for long._

 _"I've always wanted to see how many of you guard dogs I could get rid of. Practicing on taking actual lives will be more fun than playing with those artificial dolls."_

 _(It's a shame that it never expected the one that was unluckily spared to be the one to be it's close downfall.)_

~...~

Yugo lets out a tired sigh, rubbing his eyes as he gazes up at the night sky. The mechanic was lying upon his back on the rooftop, arms returning behind his head to pillow it, a leg crossed over a propped up one. Aqua hues staring into the dimly lit sky above.

He shivers slightly, a cold breeze blowing and he regrets in being only a tank top and some patched up jeans (he had considered bringing a sweater out tonight but figured he'd go in before the cold had gotten to him). The reasonable part of his thoughts begin to usher him into going inside and heading to bed. He was tired and should get some sleep, but the other half refused to listen. It told him to stay out here, enjoy the sight for just a while longer.

If his childhood friend, Rin, where still living with him, she would have definitely scolded the mechanic into coming down. She would have forced him into a bed and told him to sleep. But, alas, the girl wasn't here. (She had gone to live closer towards the city due to having an internship under someone- he couldn't recall the name. Apparently they preferred her to live closer and offered an affordable living space. It was an offer she couldn't refuse.)

"I'll be fine on my own," he mutters, as if responding to one of Rin's concerns. "I'm not a child anymore." He huffs, responding to this imaginary, one-sided conversation. He knows what she would say, it never changed much. Always concerned for his well-being, while he would argue she was worrying a little too much.

Yugo pushes himself up, pulling his legs close and wrapping his arms around his knees. His gaze never once left the sky as he shifted. It's getting colder and he needs to go inside soon. Just a couple more minutes out here. Enjoying a cloudless night with a starry filled sky was a rare gift that he wanted to appreciate.

A frown forms as he recalls some 'advice' she had offered the other day. Something about how he should be going out and trying to socialize more. (Yugo argued that he did enough of that. He interacted with people on a daily basis, he was friends- _acquaintances_ with most people. She had argued that he needed people he could talk to, someone he could ask beyond the simple 'how's your day going'. While he could always turn to her for help, she wouldn't always be around, her move had been a prime example.)

"It's not my fault I'm busy..." He grumbles with a pout forming. The mechanic had his own shop to run, his own bike to build, and some classes he was trying to take. (They weren't exactly classes, but he did study under other mechanics. Maybe he could consider them an apprenticeship or an internship? He wasn't sure, all he knew was it felt like a school sometimes.)

Through his mental arguments, something causes him to pause, eyes widening for a moment and even blinking furiously to what he had just seen. Surely he was imagining this. He wasn't lucky enough to catch a shooting star of all things on such a perfectly clear night, was he?

There's a silent pause before realization hits and he nearly panics. A wish! He had to make a wish on this, right? If luck was on his side tonight, maybe even this wish would come true to! (Maybe that was too much hopeful thinking but it didn't stop him from believing.)

"I wish for..." _More parts, more money, a financially stable life, a home in the Tops fit for him and Rin._ There were so many things he could wish for, there were so many things he needed in life and yet, Rin's words echo in the back of his mind, now sounding louder than before. "...someone who won't leave my side. But they won't replace Rin. Never. I guess, someone who can just be a friend." Yugo tries to clarify his wish, as if someone was listening in on it so they knew what he was trying to get at. (Wishing for some money would have been easier, he thinks.)

Another yawn escapes from him and he figures he should head back inside now. He has to carefully maneuver his way down the roof, sliding down onto the shambled shed before hoping to the ground. (Yugo made it look easy, he had done it a million times. Yet, there were times when even he fumbled and landed on his face.)

Just as he's about to turn and head indoors, a sudden bang against the other side of the shed startles him, causing him to yelp. His mind instantly reels to the fact this might be some mugger, a thief, a robber, someone who wants to try and break into his home in the middle of the night. It doesn't take him long to be defensive (and he's definitely not going to admit that he might be just a little bit afraid).

"Who's there?" Yugo tries to sound big, threatening, though it comes out more like an angry shout. With no response, he begins to take slow steps. Maybe this wasn't a person, but an animal (cats were pretty common and he did occasionally feed one even if Rin had told him not to). It wasn't an animal. It was a person.

The stranger looked about his age, had violet and pink hair, narrowing purple eyes, a tired look on his face (he tried to hide the tired look on his face, but he was hunched over, breathing heavily). He wore a faded grey tattered shirt, matching shorts to go with it, parts of it looked scorched, burnt, while red spots decorating his clothing. (Those red spots seemed to be splattered almost everywhere, he notes as he takes a closer look. Most of it seemed to be on his clothes, smaller splatters against his skin looked as if they were hurriedly wiped off. The thought of it being something other than paint is one he dreads but doesn't consider.) On his arms and legs, there were some spots that looked like bruises. He seemed to be just barely managing to stand, legs shaking and using the building for support.

"You're hurt..."

The unknown male clicks his tongue to the response, uttering something but the only thing Yugo manages to catch is an _'obviously'_ (and was it him or did it sound sarcastic?). The stranger moves, forcing himself away from the shed and nearly falls, just barely managing to press himself back against the shed.

Yugo bites his lower lip to the sight, a hand reaching out. "Let me help-" He's stopped by a dangerous look in the other's eyes. He doesn't speak but the mechanic understands the unspoken message, _'I don't need your help'._ And he does consider listening to him. (This guy practically screamed trouble, like one of those criminals that landed in the compound within the city.)

Against his better judgement, Yugo took a step forward, slowly putting an arm around the other's shoulder. He ignores the low growl he hears from the other and helps him to his feet. "I know you don't want my help, but you're getting it." There isn't a response and he swears the other is just glaring daggers at him. Maybe he'll regret deciding to help him out later, for now he can't turn a blind eye.

The mechanic takes slow movements, trying to help the injured stranger to the door, inside his home, and to his room. (It's a challenge, he's never had to practically drag someone inside his own home. Thankfully, this guy wasn't so heavy.) Yugo helps him to his bed, easing him onto it. The male looks as if he's desperately trying to stay awake (and stay glaring at him) but eventually his eyes close. Panic and worry run through Yugo and his initial thoughts are to check his pulse. Okay, he's still alive, nothing to worry about at all. He just fell asleep, probably from exhaustion (or whatever else was affecting him).

Yugo takes a step back, looking at the one he had just helped. He was wondering if he should just call the police, but wonders if this kid was like him. Someone from the outskirts of the city, someone they wouldn't care for in the slightest. He might be on his own, gotten involved in something terrible and just barely managed to get away, alive.

His eyes are drawn back to the red on his clothes, that's what worries him the most. He could have been in a fight, a rather...deadly one, but who was he to say? He could think up countless situations that were either for, against, or neutral for the stranger. As he yawns, he decides that he can jump to various conclusions in the morning.

Perhaps this meeting was part of a dream, a dream crafted to fill his wish in a rather...unusual way. (Was his wish really granted like this?) Yugo shrugs the thought off, grabbing a blanket to cover the stranger before taking a spare from his room and walking out with it. He leaves the door to his room open as he heads over to a couch in the small living room. He couldn't exactly trust this stranger to be alone but he didn't want to sleep on a hard surface either.

Falling asleep was going to be harder than he thought as his mind raced about the stranger and the questions that followed with him.

~...~

The loud thud and pain that courses through his body is what strikes him awake. He reacts quickly, sitting up and glaring around, thinking someone might have pushed him off his own bed, yet finds himself in the living room. On the floor.

"Huh?" Yugo scratches his head, fingers running through his messy blue hair, pushing some of his yellow bangs to the side. _Oh, right._ He forgot he had slept in the living room...why had he done so again? As he stands, he recalls the night before. There was some stranger who needed help and he had offered his home to him (even if he had never asked). To the memory, his eyes glance over to the opened door.

Yugo begins to step forward, trying to keep his guard up in this half-awake state. When he stands at the door, he notices the stranger is already awake, sitting up in bed and holding a flower in his hand. No, wait he's not holding it. The mechanic squints, taking a couple steps closer and telling himself he's imagining things. The flower was standing upright, almost _stemming_ from his palm. Actually, it was.

He definitely must still be dreaming.

He doesn't even realize that he's by the bed, tired eyes scrutinizing the boy's hands. Part of him swears that his veins are a green shade and that something like a very thin snake is moving underneath his skin.

"Surprised?" The stranger asks, causing Yugo to jump. He looks to the boy in his bed, noticing how...alive he looks. Just the other night he looked ready to keel over and now he seemed refreshed. (Not in a terribly good way. This one wore an eerie grin and his eyes looked as if they were analyzing the tired boy before him.)

"Uhh..." Yugo shakes his head before stopping and nodding. "I mean, I've never seen that before." He pauses, figuring he should be talking, asking about something more important. "Are you feeling better? What happened to you?"

"Nothing that concerns you." The stranger turns his gaze away from Yugo and to his own palm. He raises his other hand, only to gently pluck the growing flower, a blooming pink camellia, from his very own skin, twirling it within two slender fingers.

Yugo ends up glaring to his response. The sound of his voice and the fact he ignored his other question (and didn't even seem to take interest in him) didn't sit well with him. "That's not how you respond to someone who helped you out."

"I never asked you to help me. You decided to for whatever silly reason that came into your mind."

"Yeah well...you don't have to...be an ass about it!" He had tried to come up with a better line, but he was too tired to think straight.

The stranger sighed softly, rolling his eyes before placing the flower in Yugo's hair, tucking the stem in so it could stay. "I don't, but it's fun to be one." He grins, amused. "Are you alone right now?"

"What kind of question is that to ask?" Yugo huffs while pulling out the flower and looking to it. It was still weird to grasp how this had been just growing from the guy's body. "I'm alone, but so what of it? If you're planning to mug me..." That's not something he should be saying when a question like that is asked.

The stranger shakes his head in response. "I would never do something as low as that." He chuckles for a moment, eyes glancing elsewhere as he goes quiet. "I just wanted to know before I...ask something of you."

"And what would that be?"

"Let me live here with you."

"...What?!" Yugo blinks, stares. He couldn't believe that he just asked- no that wasn't even phrased as a question. "First, you didn't even ask that and second, you're a stranger! I don't know you and you're just some...guy! Who- Who looks like they got into a brawl and- and you can grow flowers from your han-"

"Yuri," he interrupts. "That's my name. I cannot explain the full details of my disheveled appearance, but it was no brawl I was in. I do not wish to speak of myself nor what I can do. All I need, to clarify, is shelter. Let me live in this home of yours."

(He wasn't spouting this out at random, though it may have seemed like it to Yugo. He had thought long and hard about his options when he had come to earlier. To continue running, to hide, or to fight. The first two options were cowardly, but the last one would be a foolish mistake. As confident as he was in his abilities, there was a limit as to how much he could do and how many he could take on.

Laying low for a while might prove best, perhaps his pursuers would think him dead...that might be wishful thinking. Going to the city would cause alert, sticking to the outskirts, to a place that seemed almost deserted at night, it was perfect. He could gather his thoughts here and eventually move on when the time was right.)

"Seriously? You can't expect me to say yes to just tha-"

Something silences him. Something green is pressed against his lips. Something definitely not human shushes him with a single touch. Through his anger, he hadn't noticed something moving underneath Yuri's shirt, something wriggling from his back, sliding out under his shirt and now touching him. He guessed it was a snake at first until he noticed the lack of reptilian features. Was this...a vine? And was it beginning to wrap around his neck?

"I tried to ask nicely for once, but I suppose I must make this an order. You will let me live here or else..." There's a smile on his face during this pause, the growing piece scratching against his neck and it feels like it's just about to prick him. "I _will_ kill you."

Yugo feels himself pale and instantly regrets ever helping this guy out. Why, of all people, did he have to end up saving some...freaky plant guy? This is the last time he ever helps out a stranger in the middle of the night, if he manages to live through this anyway.

He closes his eyes and raises a hand, beginning to pull the vines off his neck (which is surprisingly easy, he wasn't aware the other eased up on his grip) and pushing aside the one against his lips. "If you want to live with me, then don't threaten me!" His outburst is loud, angry. Probably not the best thing to do after this weirdo just threatened to kill him.

"Ugh..." Yugo sighs and presses his hand against his head. "I'd rather not have you live here with me, but fine. Just don't go ruining the place, okay? If all you need is shelter, than fine. It's not like I really have a choice to say no anyway..." He grumbles that last part. He'd rather be alive and keep an eye on him than let this guy have full access to his home without him here. "And don't...shed?" The mechanic points to the vines that are swaying before him. Yuri chuckles to such a silly accusation.

"I don't shed. I'm not a snake you know." The vine begins to recede back under his shirt. Yugo can only stare and watch as he sees it (and possibly more) moving underneath his shirt. "I'm sure we'll end up being _wonderful_ roommates, don't you agree, Yugo?"

"You have a messed up definition of wonderful, plant boy," he growls, crossing his arms before pausing. "How'd you know my name?"

"Lucky guess. Also, this is, I assume, your room and I don't see why someone who lives alone needs to have his name sloppily scribbled onto certain belongings." Yuri ends up pulling up the side of the blanket, pointing at the tag that had his name written over it.

"I used to share this place with someone okay! And we had the same blanket!" Yugo defended as he swatted the edge of the blanket out of his hand. "You better not have looked at anything else in here."

"I'd never think to _snoop_ around the place I'll be living in. Of course, I do expect a tour, unless if you want me to find everything on my own?"

Yugo lets out a tired sigh. Agreeing to keep Yuri here was definitely a mistake.

* * *

 **(From the desk of Leo Akaba)**

 ***Experiment #EN038**

 **Name: Yuri**

 **Plant Hybrid**

 **Reports: The subject was chosen to be fused with plantae. His body is able to produce and sustain nearly any kind of plant life within and is even able to have them 'grow' from his skin. Doing so leaves a bruise like mark once it recedes back or is cut off. It's a painful process, according to the subject, as the skin breaks and the larger the root that stems, the more painful it is. No blood is lost when performing such action. While the subject can control the vines that stem from his body, there seem to be some that grow on their own, protruding from his body at random, these are thin and don't seem to be lethal, acting more like decoration.**

 **Notes: Subject is difficult to control and has been placed in solitary confinement. He has shown high levels of bloodlust and is more cunning than he lets on. Do not approach unless equipped with fire or taser to null his growth. Do not fall for his tricks. Do not let him taunt you.**

 **IMPORTANT: #EN038 has escaped. Find and capture subject at all costs.**


	2. Flightless Birds

_"Shun..." She looks up to her brother, a slight frown forming, almost into a pout. A hand reaches out and tugs on his shirt sleeve. "Please, we have to go and help. You know they might be in danger."_

 _Shun's gaze narrows as he looks down to her. Unlike his usual glare, it's softer (he could never show any type of intense anger at her). His eyes close for a moment, shifts his arms and lets out a breath. "We shouldn't go," he starts and notices the frown on her face furthering, "but we'll help them out and then go home. It's too dangerous out here." (He knew if he simply denied this, she would go off on her own. She never could ignore a cry for help, especially when it came from a child, or sounded like it was from one.)_

 _Ruri's frown slowly turns into a gentle smile. "Thank you, Shun." She lets go of her brother's sleeve and her body turns, facing down an unlit path in the park. During the day, the park was a peaceful place, but once darkness fell, that's when danger began to creep in. And the areas that had little to no light made it perfect for a robbery (or any kind of dangerous events) to happen. "Let's go."_

 _The girl begins to run, Shun following right after, quickly taking to her side. While she focused her sights ahead, he was looking around, keeping an eye on anything that might appear from their sides. A flashlight or anything would have been nice to use, but it would also give away their presence, that is, if they didn't know they were approaching already._

 _"There!" Ruri shouts, pointing ahead at the upcoming park bench. Right beside it, a small boy was on his knees, sniffling and crying, hands trying to wipe away the falling tears. Worry that they were too late to help struck her, but that didn't stop her from going beside the boy, going down to her knees and slowly reaching out to put a hand on the crying child. Meanwhile, Shun just stands guard, getting a bad feeling about being out here. (Maybe he was being to paranoid, but it wasn't strange to think something was lurking around in the dark.)_

 _"Hey, hey...it's okay. Everything will be okay now, nothing will hurt you." Her voice is soothing, calm. (She's done this a hundred times, soothing a crying child is easy for her.) Ruri is careful, trying not to upset the boy further, only wishing to calm him down, stop his tears. She tries to run a hand through his cyan hair, lightly petting the parts not up in the ponytail, doing so causes the boy to look up, shining green eyes, filled with tears look into hers. His skin was pale and there were stitches across his left cheek._

 _"Do you...mean that, miss...?" The boy asked with a sniffle._

 _"Of course I do. My brother and I will protect you. So, you have nothing to worry about. You just have to stick with us, okay? We'll help you and get you all better to."_

 _The boy's eyes went wide for a moment before he wrapped his arms around the girl, tightly clinging onto her. In response, the girl wraps her arms around him, hand gently rubbing his back. "Thank you miss...! You're so...nice..." His sniffling disappears, replaced with giggling. "A little too nice."_

 _Shun picks up on the change in tone, and immediately knows something is up. "Ruri, get away from him!" He warns, quick to walk over to the two. His sister has a look of confusion on her face until she feels something sharp press against her neck. A blade, in the hand of the boy she was trying to comfort._

 _"Move one step closer and your sister will be no more~!" The boy giggles with a grin, causing Shun to freeze. There's a dark look on the older male's face, a glare aimed right at the boy._

 _This moment of hesitation was all they needed. In an instant, two other men had pounced on Shun, forcing him to the ground. Others began to approach, all dressed in the same blue uniform. (It seemed as if they had all appeared out of nowhere, hard to tell when they used the dark to their advantage.)_

 _"Please, let him go!" Ruri pleads as she watches her brother being trampled upon. He's trying to fight back and he does manage to push a couple off him. But when more come and surround him, there's no way he can take this many on (if it weren't a surprise attack, the odds may have differed)._

 _The boy forces Ruri to turn her attention away from her brother, onto him. "We're not going to let him go. Or you. We need you both. We have something special in store for you two~! Instead of killing two birds with one stone, we're going to keep them both!"_

 _"Ruri!" Her eyes widen and glance over to Shun. Watching her brother get beaten and eventually knocked out is a sight she'll never forget. It stings at her chest and fear begins to overtake her._

 _"Shun!" She calls out, tears pricking at her eyes._

 _"How sweet of you two. Don't worry, you won't be separated...for long."_

 _The last thing Ruri hears is the boy's giggle turn into a mad laughter._

~...~

Memories are nothing but a blur. From the moment he wakes up after that assault, his head and body were throbbing with pain. He tries to move his body and finds trouble doing so. Something is around his neck, wrists, ankles. Metal collars, chains attached and are strapped to the ground, to this room that he's in. He doesn't bother to take notice of what's around him, doesn't bother to try and figure out where he is. His mind just reels to one thing, one person.

 _Ruri_.

Where is she, where can he find her, is she safe- _god let her be safe_. Shun doesn't care about the metal hurting his skin, he tries his hardest to tug and free himself. It's a useless, foolish idea to purse but he _needs_ to find his sister. He'll thrash about as long as he's conscious, only being still when tired and sleep calls for him.

He remembers people, those men in blue uniforms pouring into this room. His vision is filled with nothing but blue. Their voices are all muffled together. They surround him. Unbearable pain and shocks follow. He blacks out.

~...~

His sense of time is off, he loses track of days, only waking up and feeling needles breaking his skin, something stinging his flesh, something stirring inside him. His body feels alien to him, things feel different but he's not sure why or how. His movements are clunky and being restrained doesn't help. He can barely see what's going on. The room feels hotter than usual, he's heating up. Sometimes, he feels as if he's about to pass out and never wake up again.

(Just how many times had he been close to meeting death, he wonders?)

The only word that come from his mouth is, 'Ruri'. It's all he manages to utter while the pain is going through him. As long as he calls out for her, remembers her, he'll find her. Whatever is happening to him, he doesn't care.

(One time he was partially conscious. There was an empty bird cage in the room, he noticed, nothing but feathers. For a second he wondered where it had gone. Why was it there in the first place? Those men in blue uniforms- lab coats now, were surrounding him. Their words were muffled, as always, behind their white masks, speaking to each other. He tried to put their words together, but couldn't hear a thing.

His eyes caught hold of needles, various tools he'd never even seen before, on a table beside him. He swore there was some dark liquid, something pulsing, more feathers. His gaze drifts around the room. Everything is a blur. Something had poked at him again, pushing into his back and his body winces. The pain is rising again and he's not sure how long he can stay awake.

 _"It's almost ready. Remember to follow the same procedures when working on the girl."_

How he manages to hear that, he doesn't know how. But it had sent him into a fit of rage. And for just a moment, he swore that his restraints had broken free.)

He imagines this is what hell must be like.

~...~

Shun is wide awake during this moment, he can't sleep, his back itches and he wants to scratch at it. His hands are still bound and as he tries to reach his shoulder blades, he's only inches away from scratching away the pain. He broke through the restraints once before (he thinks, unless if that were all a dream) and believes he can do it again.

And he feels like he can, but then an immense pain washes through him, spreading from his back throughout his body. He howls in pain, hands immediately slamming down into fists on the metal 'bed' he was on. His body begins to convulse and this pain feels worse than ever before. What seems like hours only lasts seconds and he feels something trying to break through his back.

Something is pushing up against his skin, it's growing and it's immensely painful (he can't even think straight, only wanting this pain to stop, it's all he wants now). That something continues to push until it's freed from it's fleshy prison, a loud yell escaping from his lips as they come forth.

His breathing is heavy, the pain has stopped, but there's still a stinging sensation around his shoulder blades. He's trying to recover, trying to understand what happened. (He doesn't know what happened, he's had no clue what's been going on for so long.) His gaze drifts from the ground, slowly looking up and stops once he sees his shadow. There's something _very_ unfamiliar about it. There's his body and then two shapes poking out on each side. Yellow hues stare for a moment, letting the information sink in.

 _Wings_. The odd shapes that were being cast upon his shadow were wings. And they were coming from his back. They were his wings.

His head slowly turns to the right. These wings were outstretched, he couldn't tell how big, long, wide, whatever they were (he figured it was probably longer than him if he fully outstretched them anyway). These wings were a dark brown shade, wingtips becoming more black, on the inner side there was a lighter shade of brown with white markings. (He noted there was red painting his wings, but came to the conclusion it was his own blood and not part of the markings.)

Shun stared in surprise, shock, disbelief, awe. Whatever was happening seemed like it was from some fantasy tale. A screwed up one where he was becoming part bird. He shakes his head from strange thoughts. If he was cursed to have these wings, than he would use them to his advantage. After all, they weren't tied down like the rest of his body was.

Unfortunately, he had little to no control over them. The moment he tried to get his wings to move, they were flapping about, one wing moving, the other occasionally stopping, knocking something over- both wings were. (It also hurt to move them so rapidly. Maybe because they were new, fresh, his body needed time to adjust to this new structure.) In this small room, the area now seemed even smaller with such large appendages.

This 'success' didn't go unnoticed by those studying him. Blue uniformed and lab coated men were at the door. Shun's glare was instantly on them. If they wanted to fight him, he'd use these wings against him. Even if they were just flailing around, he could hopefully do some damage.

But just like with any other attempt to break free, this one had failed.

~...~

He doesn't know when, it had to happen while he slept, that he's moved to a bigger room. It was white, just like the last, but there was something different about. There was a machine on the ceiling and he wasn't sure what to make of it (the last room didn't have it and the last one felt more like a fucked up lab room compared to this one). The restraints were removed, all but the ones around his ankle, tying him to the ground (though these chains were longer). His wings have been unharmed, even cleaned up when he notices them. No blood or any ruffled feathers, not even some glass that he had gotten stuck in them during his last fit.

(Shun wonders if this is some kind of sick joke. They gave him wings and yet were keeping him grounded.)

"Welcome to your new room, birdie." There's a voice he hasn't heard for a while. He doesn't think he'd ever hear it again. The moment it does, his blood begins to boil, eyes narrowing upon that deceitfully _innocent_ boy with a candy in his mouth- a lollipop.

"You," he growls through his clenched teeth, "You bastard!"

Shun lunges towards the smaller boy without any hesitation, faster than he ever thought he would, before being pulled back by his restraints and hurling towards the ground. He begins to push himself up, but feels a foot step onto his wrist.

"You should learn your place," the cyan haired boy spits out, unamused. "Although, seeing you fight with every bit of fiber in your body is really entertaining. You've been a good show for me these past few days. Or were they weeks?" He hums before shrugging.

"Ruri..."

"Oh, there's _that_ name again."

"Where is she?!"

"You want to find your sister that badly, hm?" He chuckles before lifting his shoe off his wrist, stepping away. (The boy knew exactly how far the bird would be able to go, he knew where to be just out of reach.) "Maybe you'll see her again. Maybe you won't."

"You'll tell me what you know," Shun threatens and quickly pushes himself up, lunging at the boy, again. This time he doesn't fall but his hands are just out of reach, just ready to grab his neck. The grin on the shorter's face only pisses him off even more.

"No, I won't! Not even if you say please!" He chuckles, flashing a cute smile, pulling the sweet out of his mouth and tapping it against Shun's hand. He begins to skip away before the infuriated bird could try to reach out to him again. "Enjoy your time here, birdie~!"

~...~

Ruri had stopped counting the days she was confined in her cell. She tried to find a way out on her own, but had given up. The only way she would be able to escape was to get a key from the guards and none had been the incompetent type so far. (They were always patrolling the halls, two at a time, never even giving them a second glance. Not to mention they were ruthless towards those who even showed an attempt at escape.)

She didn't like being here, not knowing where she was left an uneasy feeling in her stomach. From her cell door, she could see others behind bars. All scared, terrified of what was going to happen to them next. Those that were freed by the guards had left kicking and screaming (most of them anyway) and were never seen again. Eventually, their cells were replaced with another prisoner, another poor soul trapped down here.

There were times she tried consoling those who shared the neighboring cell. While she couldn't see them, she could at least speak with them. It helped them and her to. Talking to someone made things more bearable here, until the conversation had turned and family was mentioned.

Her thoughts would immediately go to Shun and there would be nothing but worry for him. (She always worried about him, but speaking of him just brought forth even more concern.) He was still alive, wasn't he? She had picked up on being called 'the feather boy's sister', whatever that meant, so it was a sign that her brother was still alive. (The feathers comment struck her as odd though, not to mention the distasteful bird related puns that followed.) All she wished for was to see him, to know she was okay. She wanted to see and confirm he was alive with her very own eyes.

When the guard had come to her cell, she looked to his hands, expecting a meal. There was none. Instead, she was greeted with a click and the door being pushed open.

"Ruri Kurosaki. You're comin' with me," the guard stated.

She felt her blood run cold and held her hands to her chest. Today was her chosen day, to leave this place and be taken...elsewhere. Her eyes fell on the keys on the guard's hip, but figured it was silly to try and swipe them and run. Even if she had keys to this place, could she find her brother and free him? She'd have to play it safe, for now. (But how long could she play it safe before something bad happened?)

"Come on, we don't got all day."

The girl nods and begins to step forward. She's seen what they do to those who refuse to go. Those that go peacefully are treated a bit more nicely. So, she walks in front of the guard without a problem, ignoring the snickering heard from behind and the farewells she hears from the other prisoners.

Walking up from that dungeon like area, she notes the change in interior, how things turn more into a lab like setting. It sends chills down her spine for an unknown reason. She ends up flinching when there's a loud scream of pain coming from beyond a corridor. More screams follow and she wishes to cover her ears.

The noise from the guard's walkie talkie startles her, causing her to jump and come to a halt. She turns and notices him wrapped up in his conversation.

"What? An escapee? And it's the damned bird? Look, I got it's sister, we'll be fine," he replies, surprisingly lax if an escapee is on the loose.

"Bird...?" _Sister?_ Ruri mutters. It doesn't take her long to figure out that it has to be, "Shun!" She turns and without thinking, begins to run, ignoring the shouts of the guard from behind. She shouldn't, she knows she should stay behind. Running in a place like this would only lead to an even worse punishment. But she has to move, to reunite with Shun.

While running through this place, all she can hear are screams of pain, agony. It hurts to even listen, but her mind is on her brother. It doesn't take long to find Shun and see what's happened to him. Ruri ends up letting out a slight gasp to seeing the wings protruding from his back. What had happened to him while they were separated? How had this come to be?

"Ruri!" Hearing his voice snaps her away from those thoughts. Shun is easily fighting off a few of those guards, but she can note the strain this is having on his body, he could only last for so long. (Images of the night they were captured flash into her mind. She can't do anything to stop them, she's not a fighter like him.) When he finishes off the couple in his way, he dashes towards her, grabbing her arm and insisting they run. "We're getting out of here."

(Shun had intended to ask more, if she were alright, what had happened, if anyone had dared to lay a finger on her. Now isn't the time for questions nor for showing too much worry.)

The girl nods her head in response, letting her brother lead the way. She has to be careful of the wings coming from his back (she could see some scars around his skin through the tank top he was wearing- were they natural or-?), but it seemed as if he were in control of them for the most part, keeping them out of her way.

"We're going to jump, okay?"

"Jump?"

Ruri's gaze looks ahead, noting they were heading towards a window. She could hear countless footsteps from behind. Without any knowledge of the layout of this place, maybe jumping out the window wasn't so farfetched. For any other situation, she would have disagreed. But...could those wings be used to save them both?

His grip tightens around her wrist the closer they get and when they're close enough, she pulls him in, lifting her in his arms and protecting her as he flings himself against the glass. Ruri holds tightly onto her brother, barely managing to hold back a shout as she shuts her eyes. She doesn't dare open them and chance looking down.

Shun extends his wings the moment they've left the building. He's never actually been able to fly before, but his wings help with the descent. He notes the various blue uniforms beginning to hurdle on the grounds outside the facility. He can't land there. All he has to do is glide towards the brick wall and then hop over it. If they get past it, they'll be home free.

And just when he manages to land right on the wall, a pain strikes his leg and he falters. He looks down to see a bullet had just grazed him. Before any other bullets can hit him or his sister, he leaps off, gliding to the ground. He instantly sets Ruri to her feet, trying to ignore the injury in his leg.

"Are you okay, Shun?" She asks as she looks to his leg, that wound didn't go unnoticed. It wasn't a fatal wound, but it would definitely hurt and hinder their movements.

"I'm fine. We can't stop moving," he mutters. He's handled worse pain than this before but he doesn't dare mention it to her. "We have to get out of here."

Neither can protest and they both run (Shun more limping) out into the surrounding forest. They can hear gunshots, a siren going off. They were wanted for escaping and they needed to get far, _far_ away from here.

Running through the forest was a bit difficult, not knowing where to go, they could only move forward, occasionally turning when hearing more footsteps or something moving in the bushes. Where they even close to home? They barely even knew where they had been taken to in the first place.

Shun comes to a sudden halt, putting a hand out protectively in front of Ruri. There's a confused look on her face and she's about to ask, ' _why did we stop_ ,' but he just stares ahead. She follows his gaze, staring ahead in this evening lit forest but sees nothing.

"I know you're there," Shun growls, hands balling to fists. He was already growing defensive, unintentionally spreading his wings out from behind.

"Calm down, Shun, we should-"

Ruri stops as the figure appears. Apparently, her brother had seen someone she hadn't. The figure's steps are slow, standing a bit before them, keeping a distance. He's wearing a dark mask with goggles, black and purple hair spiking up to the right.

"You..." Shun starts, "Academia scum."

"Shun, wait!" Ruri quickly grabs onto his arm, holding him back from taking off on the stranger. "I...I don't think he's one of them..." His clothes didn't match those they wore. Instead of a blue uniform, his choice of clothing was painted in black. And she hadn't seen any of those guards wearing black. (It could be a trap, she realizes, but her instincts tell her this wasn't a bad guy.)

"We can't trust him. Or anyone else." Shun didn't want this to end up being like that kid again. How could she so easily trust another stranger?

"She's right," the stranger speaks from behind his mask, slowly pulling it off along with the goggles to reveal his grey eyes and solemn expression. He began to look back and forth between the two before speaking up again. "I'm not part of Academia."

"Bullshit," Shun huffs, definitely not convinced. (He would have lunged at the guy if Ruri hadn't been holding onto him still.)

The stranger sighs. "Look, my name is Yuto. I was on my way to scope out the Academia facility. But if you two..." Could he guess they just came from there? It seemed likely enough. Especially considering one of them had wings coming out of his back. (But no one had escaped before, how had they managed?) "I can explain to you what I do, but we have to move. Academia doesn't give up on their hunt easily."

Ruri looks to Shun, pleading with her eyes. _We have to trust him._ Shun doesn't want to. Yuto is a stranger, someone who could easily throw them back into that hell hole. But there was a slim chance that he was telling the truth. That he wanted to help them.

"If you're lying about this," Shun narrows his eyes to Yuto, "then I'll be the one to toss you into their compound."

Yuto's wears a small grin on his face before his expression returns to being serious. "I'm not, but we have to hurry. I know a way back to my place where there's hardly any people around. We'll get you both indoors and out of sight. But we have to go, now."

* * *

 **(From the desk of Leo Akaba)**

 ***Experiment #EN050**

 **Name: Shun Kurosaki**

 **Falcon Hybrid**

 **Reports: This difficult subject was decided to be fused with bird DNA, specifically focusing on those of falcons. Bones have been adjusted to be hollow, allowing the subject to be lighter and more agile. Eyesight has shown improvement since being fused, he's able to see further distance, it's unknown how far his vision reaches. The biggest change in appearance are his wings. They sprouted from his back and firmly connect to his body, has complete control over them. Wingspan is approximately fifteen feet. Subject cannot fly, but has the ability to glide; most likely a mistake during the fusion process.**

 **Notes: Since sprouting wings, subject had to be moved to a larger cell. He is quick tempered and those studying him should always keep their distance. Keep a spare tranquilizer on at all costs. Is known for lashing out in fits of rage. Always keep at least one restraint on him. Do not let him meet with his sister.**

 **IMPORTANT: #EN050 was deemed a failure and has escaped along with #EN043. Find him to find #EN043.**

* * *

a/n: timeline wise, technically this takes place before Yuri escapes.


End file.
